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Staying on Top When Your World's Upside Down

Act confident to earn confidence

“Self-confidence is the trait of envisioning victory from situations where others see only defeat, to find promise were others find grounds for pessimism, to see opportunity where others see obstacles.”James B. Arkbauer: Ultrapreneuring

In her book Capture the Mindshare and the Market Share Will Follow, Libby Gill describes research showing that self-confidence often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People who act confident are more likely to gain the confidence, encouragement, and support of others; they are more likely to be looked up to and to be listened to. This external response, in turn, reinforces their inner belief in themselves and their abilities. It can motivate them to study longer and work harder to justify the confidence that others have placed in them and that they have expressed themselves.

Self-confidence and optimism are essential traits for leaders – and I include parents in this category. When the world is turning upside down – you’ve just lost a job, the business is operating at a loss, whatever – is the most important time for you as a leader to show the unshakeable confidence that Ernest Shackleton (who’s story I mentioned earlier), to inspire those who are trusting you to lead them out of the mess.

The writer Jonathan Swift once wrote that you should keep your fears to yourself and share your courage with others. That is perhaps the ultimate test of confidence: keeping a vision of victory in front of people even when you don’t know exactly how it is to be achieved.